Rear Admiral Gillingham

Posted on: July 18, 2014  |  Posted in: Community Blog

Featured Annual Conference Speaker:

Rear Admiral Bruce L. Gillingham

Commander, Navy Medicine West/Naval Medical Center San Diego

Admiral Gillingham Photo

A native of San Diego, CA, Rear Admiral Gillingham earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology with high honors from University of California at San Diego and his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society.  Rear Admiral Gillingham completed a surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) graduating in 1994. He obtained sub- specialty training as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. He is qualified as an Undersea and Diving Medical Officer.

Rear Admiral Gillingham served at US Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads; Naval Special Warfare Unit 4; NMCSD as Director of Surgery; in USNS MERCY (T-AH 19) as Director of Surgical Services; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth as Deputy Commander; Naval Hospital Jacksonville as Commanding Officer; US Pacific Command as Fleet Surgeon and Joint Support Force-Japan Surgeon during Operation TOMADACHI, and US Fleet Forces Command as Fleet Surgeon and Director of Health Services.  He deployed to Taqaddum, Iraq during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II as the Battalion Chief of Professional Services (Forward) for the 1st Force Service Support Group and Officer in Charge of the Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon (SSTP) which provided echelon II combat casualty surgical care during Operation PHANTOM FURY. Upon his return from deployment, he was instrumental in establishing the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care (C5).

Rear Admiral Gillingham’s military decorations include the Legion of Merit (five awards), Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Achievement Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with the Eagle Globe and Anchor device with bronze star, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Fleet Marine Force ribbon. A Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Gillingham is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Orthopedic Association, American College of Physician Executives, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. He has published over thirty scientific articles and book chapters.